I'm freaking out! Life is out of balance and vacation time is limited. I need to go to Zion for a quick fix. But what to do? What to do?

In the last year I've knocked off the trade routes there; Prodigal, Lunar X, Spaceshot and Moonlight. I've also done the first couple pitches of Swoop Gimp (scary!). So whats next?

Constraints I solo. Free climbing is alright up to 5.8 or even a bit of 5.9. I'll spend three days in the canyons giving me 3 to climb. C3/A3 is all the sphincter-tightening I need. Rather do a clean route or something with minimal pinning. Though feel free to recommend anything.

Recommendations?

Anyone have first hand beta on Desert Shield (looks better as a partnered free/aid climb)

How about Smoot/Ellison on Mount Moroni. Some serious OW?

Or whats the big spire with the Middendorf Route on it? Anyone ever do that climb? Lots of hooking evidently.

I solo. Free climbing is alright up to 5.8 or even a bit of 5.9. I'll spend three days in the canyons giving me 3 to climb. C3/A3 is all the sphincter-tightening I need. Rather do a clean route or something with minimal pinning. Though feel free to recommend anything. Recommendations?

How bout Shear Lunacy? Only one thin aid section on it. No nailing. Easy to fix and blast. Fun route.

In reply to:

How about Smoot/Ellison on Mount Moroni. Some serious OW?

Aka "the crack in the cosmic egg".

I hear tell its not too bad. Start is thin, though. Please, no cam hooks.

i soloed desert shield a couple of years ago. it's good; several jungle pitches up to (easy) 5.9, a couple of free pitches of 5.10 that can be aided but aren't bad, and some awesome clean aid. the aid is C3+; it is thin but do-able. bring lots of brassies and a couple of leeper cams (straight in cracks, not fragile flakes.) some mallards would work great, but i didn't have any at the time. one thing - i took two days, and felt i was moving at a decent pace (i'd just soloed spaceshot in an easy day). it would be cool as a partnered climb, but definitely an option solo.

Thanks for the info. Desert Shield climbs higher on the list. How about the Lowe Route On Angels Landing. Definitely a beautiful line! Though I think I've heard of some hard mandatory free climbing. Any words of wisdom?

The lowe route on Angel's would suck solo. Lots of wandering and OW crap. I watched a party on Empty Pages while I was on the Lowe Route. Looks Killer. It looked awsome to solo. Very staightforward and Pretty steep to boot. I think it goes at C3/A3. It's alot shorter than most of the other climbs near bye but should be interesting enough for a three day trip.

Besides the topo at bigwall.com for Moonpatrol is there any first-hand beta on this route floating around here?

I looked for info on this route last winter...Nobody know's anything!! Most of the locals seem to think it would be a good route...It's still on my list and hasn't gone clean yet. I was thinking of trying to do the first clean ascent....and checking to see if it would go free. If you find anything out let me know... josh

HEY!! Rock prodigy. Let's go Free Climb that spire!!! It's one cool spire. And Yeah I have been Sandbagged by one of Brain's Topo's. There's NO WAY that Flake was 5.8 free climbing!!! When I started climbing it, It all came tumbling down in my LAP!!!! I saw a few tourists hit the deck from the echo when part of the flake (The size of a full KEG) smashed into dust on the Valley floor. Obvisiouly You nailed the thin crack and penji over to Down syndrome Ledge, Brain. But again maybe not???? Maybe i was just off Route. CHEERS.

I can understand that if there are people lining up to do it free, but my guess (perhaps incorrect) is that it doesn't get much traffic. So if no one's around and I do any aid clean, what's the difference? Not that I'm planning on running up there to do it any time soon (hell, I couldn't even top out on Prodigal last weekend), but it's great to get some beta on some of the less traveled routes. Especially from the dude who put some of them up.

Shit, I would love to. Maybe this fall???? This old timer "Desert Rat" pointed it out to me. If I do go do it, (Never put much effort into first accents) I would like to think i was up to the task mentally and physically, to put it up in good STYLE.

I've scoped it through the binoculars, and I think it might go...problem is it would depend a lot on face climbing on what appeared to be very sketch rock...never know until you try.

Plan B is a neo-classic for the small group of Zion free climbers. It is rarely climbed, just like all the other free routes, but if you think aid climbing (even "clean" aid) has no impact, you are mistaken. Look at the cam scars on the crux dihedral of moonlight. Every person who places a cam and stands on it, is wearing away those pods...the rock is just so soft. I think if you looked at Plan B from the road, you wouldn't be very psyched to climb it anyway, it's not exactly awe-inspiring.

And Yeah I have been Sandbagged by one of Brain's Topo's. There's NO WAY that Flake was 5.8 free climbing!!! When I started climbing it, It all came tumbling down in my LAP!!!! I saw a few tourists hit the deck from the echo when part of the flake (The size of a full KEG) smashed into dust on the Valley floor. Obvisiouly You nailed the thin crack and penji over to Down syndrome Ledge, Brain. But again maybe not???? Maybe i was just off Route. CHEERS.

Which pitch? Above Down Syndrome Ledge? At the bolt ladder traverse to the nice stance, head up and over on friction to a crack in a corner (is that #2 friend still stuck in there?), then on up to Down Syndrome Ledge.

As from there, well, "down syndrome"...aptly named! Har har...

Did a hunk of that roofy crack system above the ledge pop out on you?? I was scared, I tell ya...

Slabbyd: When we did Plan B, we pretty much free climbed the whole route except for the 2 big roofs (which we aided) so I know that those wide sections can go on aid. The only other wide section I can recall climbing was that short section on the 2nd pitch and I was able to slide a #5 camalot up the crack. Just bring some extra big gear.

RockProdigy: When you say "there are only about 10 good free routes in Zion," you are dead wrong. There are many other "good" free climbs that you might not be aware of. The local boys are working on a free climbing guide book to Zion -- you'll see. By the way, wasn't that you, Mike, that I locked horns with on the topic of shuttle buses on the SuperTopo website? We need to get out climbing -- we could get into some great arguments!

Climbhigher: I think you misread my topo (IdiOdyssey). I rated the flake A1 or 5.10. The 5.8 section you were thinking of was the slab BELOW the flake. I followed the flake all the way to down syndrome ledge. Believe me, I don't want to sandbag anybody.

Desert Shield is spectacular! It shouldn't be too bad to solo. The 5.10/11 free pitch down low could be aided pretty easily ( you might need a short cheater stick?). The headwall is amazing and goes at C3 with lots of HB offsets and a few lowe balls.

By the way, wasn't that you, Mike, that I locked horns with on the topic of shuttle buses on the SuperTopo website? We need to get out climbing -- we could get into some great arguments!

Yeah, that's me! I feel honored to have sparked the interest of such a Utah climbing legend. I would love to climb with you some day...I'd like to pick your brain about LCC. I love comparing your guidebook to the new version...it's a great record of rockfall, and the advancement of free climbing standards...pretty cool.

Now that this topic is up again, does anybody have beta on Moon Patrol? I've seen the topo on Bigwall.com. Anyone done it? Also last fall, I ran into some guys goin' up on "Lucifer's Ledges"(I think that's the name). I guess it runs between Empty Pages and Prod. I'm curious what this route is about as well. From what it looks like it's pretty heads up :shock: Anybody know? Cheers! The Dude